Vessel and propeller.



A. H. WHEELER.

VESSEL AND PROPELLER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 23,1910,

1,001,914;. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

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ALVIN H. WHEELER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

VESSEL AND PROPELLER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN H. lVHEnLER, citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vessels andPropellers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vessels and means for propelling same, andparticularly pertains to a vessel which is propelled by a series ofblades disposed transversely to and traveling lengthwise of the vessel.

It is the object of this invention to provide a vessel and propellingmeans which is so constructed as to be capable of attaining a high rateof speed, and which is simple in its operation and construction.

A further object is to provide means by which the angle at which thepropeller blades strike, pass through, and leave the water may beadjusted, which means is designed for the primary purpose of causing theblades to be lifted from the water in an almost vertical position.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalsection lengthwise of a vessel which is constructed in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is a stern view of same. Fig. 3 is a detail inperspective of several of the propelling blades. Fig. 4 is a detail inelevation of one end of a propeller blade showing the manner of mountingsame. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the lower portion of a drive wheel anda modified form of mounting the blades.

In the drawings, A represents the hull of a vessel, which is constructedaccording to my invention. This hull has a substantially flat bottom a,flared sides 6, and the usual pointed bow c. The bottom a and flaredsides Z) are extended a suitable distance rearward of the stern, and aplate cl, having its outer edge secured to the end of the bottom a andits upper edge terminating at the stern above the normal water line, isdisposed between the sides Z). The plate (Z forms an inclined or slopingsurface, which slopes downward from the stern of the hull A to its outeredge, which is the point of juncture between the plate d and theextended portion of the bottom a. This construction Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1910.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Serial No. 562,806.

provides a means for preventing, to a large degree, the suction which isproduced by the swirl of the water in the wake of the vessel.

The propelling mechanism consists of a series of blades 2, pivotallymounted at each end on continuous cables 33, which pass around drivewheels 1, disposed near each end of the hull A. The drive wheels 1 aremounted in pairs on drums t mounted on shafts 55 which are adapted to berotated in any suitable manner and are here shown as driven by an engine6, through a shaft 7, extending longitudinally of the hull A and gearedat each end to the shafts 55 respectively. The wheels 4: are so disposedand mounted that the lower stretch of the cables 3-3 and the blades 2mounted thereon will be submerged in the water below the bottom a of thehull A, the bottom a being open longitudinally of the hull A from apoint forward of the front pair of wheels 4 to the stern to form achannel. The upper stretches of the cable 33 and the blade 2 thereonwill be above the water line, as shown in Fig. 1. The blades 2 aremounted at suitable intervals on the continuous cables 33, preferablysix blades being disposed in a length of cable equal to thecircumference of a wheel 4:. The blades 2 are pivotally mounted by meansof trunnions 8 on the ends thereof which extend through bearings 9,formed on clamps 10 which are suitably secured to the cables 3. Rollers11 are mounted on the ends of the trunnions 8 and are adapted to travelin channel-tracks 12, mounted on the inside walls of downwardlyprojecting flanges 13 formed on the bottom a of the hull on each side ofthe longitudinally extending opening therein. The object of the track 12is to insure the lower stretch of the cables 3-3 traveling on a levelplane. The outer ends of the blades 2 are provided with flanges 1 1which form pockets on both faces of the blades, as shown in Fig. 3.Adjustable connecting rods 15 link the blades 2 together, one end of therods 15 connectmg near the upper edge of each blade and extendingbackward and engaging the adjacent blade near its center, the ends ofthe rods being preferably mounted in the flanges 14, and pivotedtherein. Each clamp 10 has a gear tooth 15 formed on 1ts under side.These teeth l5 are adapted to ward wheel 4 strike the surface of thewater in the opening formed in the bottom a at a point below the axis 5of the wheel in a nearly flat position, tending to raise the bow 0 outof the water. As the blades pass under the lowermost point of theforward wheel 4 they assume an approximately vertical position, in whichposition they travel the length of the span between the forward andrearward drive wheels 4, and, being submerged, tend to drive the vessellongitudinally through the water. As long as the cables 33 are travelingin a horizontal position, the blades 2 will be retained in a verticalposition by reason of the connecting rods 15, and as the cables 38 startupward around the rearward drive-wheel 4 the blades 2, on passing up thefirst quarter of the turn, will also be caused to retain a nearlyvertical position by the rods 15. In this manner the blades 2, on beinglifted out of the water in a nearly vertical position, do not liftagainst a dead weight of water tending to pull the stem downward, buthave a propelling action as long as they contact the water body. In thismanner the full propulsive force of the propeller blades is obtained.The blades 2 on passing over the rearward wheels 4 enter a suitablehousing or closure 16, and pass to the forward wheels 4. The wheels 4,cables 3-3 and the blades 2 are all tightly boxed in the housing 16 sothat no water will be admitted to the interior of the hull A.

The downward projecting flanges 13 on the bottom a of the hull A formside closures for the blades 2 and also act as guards thereto. A throat17 is formed in front of the forward wheels 4 in which the blades 2travel, and this throat terminates or opens below the normal waterlevel. The bottom of the hull is sloped from the mouth of the throat 17toward the bow, as shown at 18, for the purpose of momentarily forming apocket or depression in the water at the point of contact of thedown-coming blade 2, so that the latter will strike the water fullywhenthe vessel is moving in a forward direction.

The blades 2 may be pivotally mounted at one edge on the cables 33, asshown in Fig. 5, and the rods 15 may be disposed beneath the cables 3--3if desired. By adjusting the length of the rods 15 by the turnbuckles 19thereon'the blades 2 may be set at a slight angle instead ofperpendicularly, if desired.

Any suitable power may be employed for rotating the drive wheels 4 asmay be found desirable, and any appropriate means of steering the vesselmay be employed, as will be found expedient.

The roof 20 of the longitudinal channel in the bottom a, which may be afloor or deck in the hull A, is extended between the two forward drivewheels 4 and contacts with the periphery of the drum 4 so as to pre ventthe water splashed by the impact of the blades 2 on rounding the forwarddrive wheels 4, from being forced upward into a pocket or against avertical wall and thus impede the progress of the vessel. The blades orpaddles 2 thus act on a virtually confined body of water which offersgreat resistance to the paddles 2, and enables the vessel beingpropelled at considerable speed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is

1. A vessel having a longitudinally channeled bottom, an endless chain,blades pivotally connected with said chain and adapted to travel in thechannel, driving and bearing Wheels around which the chains are movable,diagonal rods between the pivots and outer edges of contiguous floats tomaintain said floats in an approximately vertical position whileentering and leaving the water, and means for adjusting the length ofthe rods to enable the blades to be set at an angle to the vertical.

2. A vessel having a longitudinally channeled bottom, an endless chain,blades pivotally connected to said chain and adapted to travel in saidchannel, said blades having trunnions at the ends located insubstantially the central longitudinal plane of the blades, bearing anddriving wheels around which the chains are movable, guide channels alongthe sides of the vessel within which the trunnions of the blades maytravel, and connections extending from one blade to the other, saidconnections being adjustable to increase or decrease their length and tothereby enable the blades to be set at an angle.

3. A vessel having a longitudinally channeled bottom, an endless chain,driving and bearing wheels around which the chain travels, bladespivotally connected with said chain, longitudinally adjustableconnections extending from one blade to the other and of the blades,boxes fixed to the chain and recelving said trunnions, driving andbearing wheels around which the chains are movable, said bearing wheelshaving depressions in their peripheries, and teeth or projecttions uponthe trunnion boxes adapted to engage the depressions of the wheels, androds extending diagonally between adjacent blades, said rods havingmeans for increas ing and decreasing their length to enable the bladesto be set at an angle.

5. A vessel having a longitudinally channeled bottom, an endless chain,blades pivotally connected with said chain and adapted to travel in saidchannel, said blades having vertical flanges fixed to and projectingright and left of the blades, driving and bearing wheels, around whichthe chains are movable, guide channels along the sides of the blades andtrunnions on the blades engaging said channels, and lengthwiseadjustable connections extending diagonally between adjacent blades toenable said blades to be set at an angle.

6. A vessel havin a longitudinally channeled bottom, an en less chainhaving blades adapted to travel in said channel, driving and bearingwheels around which the chains are movable, guide channels along thesides of the main channel within which the trunnions of the blades maytravel, and a downwardly inclined surface extending rear wardly from thevessel adapted to form an inclosure which prevents the water fromrushing in on each side of the driving chains.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.-

ALVIN H. WHEELER. Witnesses:

R. S. BERRY,

CHARLES EDELMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

